Essays on Famous Artists

Chance has been a crucial creative strategy for many modern artists. Beginning largely with the Dada movement from late 1910’s artists have involved elements of chance in their work by the methods they use in creation and the presentation of their work. In the wake of world war 1 the western world was torn apart...

One of the most influential artists of modern painting, French painter Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) has been a significant figure in the revolution of representation during his life. His work began a new way of looking and thinking abut our responses of how we experience the world. Known as a painter of still life’s and landscapes,...

William Morris’ exceptional use of art to portray himself and his beliefs is reflected in his quote ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” The nature of Morris’ designs embodies this notion and carries the ability to remain popular and desirable as a timeless...

Salvador Dali is one of the greatest surrealist artists who changes the art world with his unique style and innovative concepts. Dali in real sense is a creative genius and a precocious artist influenced by metaphysics and cubism. Dali transforms his dreams and fantasies into fascinating and ground breaking which are open for conflicting interpretation...

Considered one of Mexico’s greatest artists, Frida Kahlo, born on July 6, 1907 in Coyocoan, Mexico, transformed her life through self-portraiture. She grew up in her family’s home, which was referred to as ‘the Blue House’, and later died there on 13 July 1954. Painting during the modern and surrealist period, Kahlo’s style of work...

Formal Interpretation Artist Andy Warhol has used Marilyn Monroe as both inspiration and as a focal point. The way he has arranged the whole piece has created a sense of balance. He has created balance by using numerous art elements and principles including colour, contrast and repetition. He has evenly divided the piece into two....

The structural frame is concerned with identifying signs and symbols artists may use in their artwork and further examines the visual and formal qualities of an artwork, media and techniques. For artists, art is a way of communication. It allows an individual to open up and express themselves through certain qualities that specifically relate to...

Paul Cezanne’s innovative body of work ushered in a decisive break with the standards of representation between 1890 and 1910. Cezanne’s work laid the foundations for the revolution of representation through its subjective approach to painting. In many respects, Cezanne was the first Western artist to explore the reduction of painting and in doing so...

Pablo Picasso was one amongst some of the most prominent painters of the twentieth century. He was born on October twenty-five, 1881, in the city of Malaga, Spain. Critics often break down Picasso’s career into distinct, individual periods. The Old Guitarist was painted during what is known as Picasso’s Blue Period in late 1903. The...

“The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled”. This quotation from the beginning of John Berger’s book Ways of Seeing describes the failed relationship between viewing and understanding, particularly in reference to creative works. In his book, John Berger explores the connection between perception of and interpretation of art through...